Steelers' Hypothetical Trades, Free-Agent Signings to Benefit Kenny Pickett in 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers nailed the biggest decision they had to make last offseason.

No. 20 overall draft pick Kenny Pickett developed into a trustworthy starting quarterback throughout the 2022 NFL season.

Now the Steelers are tasked with making the right decisions to surround Pickett with the best offense possible to progress toward the postseason in 2023.

Pittsburgh already has a nice core in place for Pickett to work with. George Pickens looks like a star at wide receiver, and Diontae Johnson will join him to become the top two targets at the position.

Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth will be back for another season at running back and tight end, respectively, and Jaylen Warren appears to be a solid backup for Harris.

Mike Tomlin and his staff have to fill out the depth around Pickett so that the Steelers can compete with Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals at the top of the AFC North.

Pittsburgh was one loss to the Miami Dolphins away from making the playoffs last season. Both teams finished at 9-8, but Miami owned the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The right improvements, whether they be through free agency or a trade, could elevate the Steelers to a wild-card position in Pickett's second season.

Trade for Brandin Cooks

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 08: Davis Mills #10 and Brandin Cooks #13 of the Houston Texans celebrate a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Any team with a wide receiver need should at least reach out to the Houston Texans about Brandin Cooks.

Cooks seems like the perfect trade target because the Texans are about to embark on a rebuild that could take a few years with a young quarterback and new head coach DeMeco Ryans.

Some could argue that a potential Steelers trade for Cooks would cut into Pickens' development and Johnson's production as the No. 1 wideout.

But the Steelers can't think of a Cooks trade in that mindset. They need to match what the top team in the AFC North did for the last two seasons. Cincinnati had a ton of success with a triumvirate of Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

The Bengals proved that overloading the wide receiver position can result in success, and that is how the Steelers should approach the offseason.

Pittsburgh may not have to give up a massive haul to land Cooks because Houston is not starving for draft capital after the haul it brought in from the Deshaun Watson trade with the Cleveland Browns.

The Steelers may be willing to ship a fourth-round pick in 2023 and take on some of Cooks' salary to complete the deal.

Pittsburgh needs to create more salary cap room to afford Cooks' $18 million salary in 2023, per Spotrac, but it could restructure a few deals, or Cooks' contract, to make that fit if it really wants the veteran wide receiver.

Hypothetical Trade: Steelers send 2023 fourth-round pick to Texans for Brandin Cooks

Acquire Braxton Berrios

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 18: New York Jets wide receiver Braxton Berrios (10) returns a kickoff during the first quarter of the National Football League game between the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions on December 18, 2022 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Pittsburgh could take advantage of the New York Jets' quarterback pursuit by acquiring Braxton Berrios in some capacity.

ESPN.com's Rich Cimini analyzed why Berrios could stay or leave in the offseason as the Jets attempt to free up salary-cap space.

"[The Jets] like Berrios, and vice versa, so maybe he would agree to a pay cut to stick around," Cimini wrote. "Failing that, it's hard to imagine them keeping this contract on their books."

New York is in this position because it got its first-round quarterback draft pick wrong. Zach Wilson did not pan out, and now the Jets could be in the middle of the Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr sweepstakes.

The available veteran quarterbacks come with much larger price tags, and that could leave Berrios as a cap casualty, either as a free agent or through a trade.

Pittsburgh would be wise to wait to see if Berrios will be cut before it pursues the slot wide receiver in a trade.

A potential trade of a mid-to-late-round draft pick for Berrios might suffice if the Jets use a trade as a salary dump.

Berrios would be a nice fit inside the Steelers offense because of the different ways he could be used.

He would be placed in the slot to allow Johnson and Pickens to operate on the outside, but he could also be utilized on trick plays, jet sweeps and returns similar to how the Jets have worked him into the offense and special teams.

Berrios would be a cheaper option than the contracts of any top-tier wide receivers, and he might even be a better fit in the offense to complement the two wideouts already in place.

Sign Kareem Hunt

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 08: Kareem Hunt #27 of the Cleveland Browns in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 8, 2022 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Kareem Hunt would be a fascinating addition to the Steelers offense.

First, it would weaken one of Pittsburgh's closest rivals. The Cleveland Browns have more work to do to move up the standings, and taking away one of their two running backs might help the Steelers.

Second, Hunt's addition could add a new dimension to the offense without taking away carries from Harris.

Hunt was utilized as a third-down and pass-catching back to complement Nick Chubb in Cleveland.

He could be used in that role in Pittsburgh while bridging the gap to Warren as the potential successor to everyone in the running back room.

Warren came on late in the 2022 season in both facets of the offense. He had multiple receptions in four of his last six games and earned at least six carries in his last four appearances.

The undrafted free agent's production would be a reason to not sign someone, like Hunt, and let him take control of the No. 2 running back role.

We have learned in the last few seasons in the AFC that having too many offensive weapons is not possible.

Kansas City, Buffalo and Cincinnati created a new gold standard with their loaded offenses that Pittsburgh and other future contenders need to follow in order to upset the AFC hierarchy.

A one-year deal for Hunt on a minimal veteran salary could do wonders for the versatility of the Pittsburgh offense while not completely stunting Warren's development.